Beet and potato harvester.



A. B. SMITH.

BEET AND POTATO HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 1914. RENEWED JUNE 28.1916.

1,206,152. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. B. SMITH.

BEET AND POTATO HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 3, 1914. RENEWED JUNE 28.1916.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. B. SMITH.

BEET AND POTATO HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN- 3. 1914- RENEWED JUNE 28.1916.

1 06,152. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

A. B. SMITH. BEET AND POTATO HARVESTER.

MPLICATION FILED JAN- 3.19M. RENEWED JUNE 28. 1916.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

a HIM/W019. 5mm 5W;

VII

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW B. SMITH, OF MASON CITY, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO, LOUI S E. TOUFF,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. 3

IBEE'I AND POTATO HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 12017.28, 1916.

Application filed January 3, 1914, Serial No. 810,213. Renewed .Tune 28, 1916. Serial No. 106,491.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW B. SMITH,

a citizen of Austria, residing at Mason City, in the county of Cerro Gordo and State. of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Beet and Potato Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to beet and potato harvesters and to that class of machines in general which are used for digging rootcrops, such as beets, potatoes and the like and for separating the same from the dirt, leaving the roots exposed on top of the ground in convenient shape for subsequent gathering.

One object of the invention is to simplify and improve the general frame structure and supporting means for the topping means, the digging means and the separating means and for conveniently adjusting the operative parts of the machine to the most advantageous position for operation as well as for throwing the same out of operation when desired.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve the various operative parts of the machine.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention, parts having been broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front view. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional detail view taken on the line 55 in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken on the line 6'6 in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 7 -7 in Fig. 1. Fig. 8is a sectional detail view on a larger scale taken on the line 8-8 in Fig. 5.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The main frame 15 of the machine which is supported on an axle 16 having ground wheels 17 includes an obliquely disposed rear cross bar 18 adjacent to the sharp corner of which a caster wheel or trailer 19 is arranged to support the rear portion of the frame. Bearings are provided for longitudinally disposed shafts 20 and 21, one in front and the other in rear of the axle in the horizontal plane of which said shafts are arranged. The axle carries a bevel gear 22 meshing with bevel pinions 23, 24 on the shafts 20, 21, respectively, said shafts being thus driven when the machine is in motion. The shafts 20, 21 each include a clutch member' 25 operable by a shipping lever 26,

whereby said shafts may be thrown into or out of gear. Each shipping lever 26 is connected by a link 27 with an arm of a lever 28, one of said links being connected by a rod 29 with a hand lever 30 having a stop member 31 that engages a rack segment 32, thus enabling the clutch members 25 to be simultaneously operated for the purpose of throwing the shafts 20 and 21 in or out of gear. I I

The front part of the frame of the machine includes supporting means, such as yokes or brackets 33, the bridge portions of which afford bearings that support internally threaded sleeves 34 having bevel pinions, 35 at their upper ends. Through the forward sleeve 34 extends a threaded rod 36 carrying at its lower end, which is forked at 37, a topping device A, the construction of which will be presently more fully described. The rearward sleeve 34, carries a threaded rod 38 terminating at its lower end in a spherical head 39 which is connected by a coupling sleeve 40 with a socket member 41 at the upper end of a vertically disposed shaft 42 which, together with the coupling member 40, is free to rotate about the head 39, said shaft being mainly supported in a bearing 43 on an arm 44 that extends from the rod 36. Keyed or splined on the shaft 42 so as to rotate the said shaft while the latter is capable of sliding therethrough is a bevel pinion 45 that meshes with abevcl gear 46 on the forward driven shaft 20 from imity to the rear end members of the topping device.

which motion is thus transmitted to the shaft 42 when the machine is in'operation. The sleeves 33 are capable of being simultaneously rotated by means of bevel gears 46 meshing with the bevel pinions 35, said bevel gears 46 being mounted on a longitudinally disposed shaft 47 having at its rear end a hand wheel 48, whereby it may be rotated by the driver or operator whose seat 49 is supported on the frame in convenient proxof the shaft 47. It will be seen that by thus simultaneously rotating the sleeves 33, the threaded rods 36, 37 extending through said sleeves'may be simultaneously adjusted vertically, together with the parts carried by said rods, the shaft 42 being slidable through the bevel pinion as previously stated.

The topping device A comprises a structure of inverted V-shape in cross section, the wings or side members of which, 49, are provided at their forward ends with spaced cutting fingers 50. Guided for reciprocation on the wings 49 are cutting members consisting of plates 51 provided at their forward ends with cutting fingers 52 that cooperate with the fingers to cut material passing therebetween. The bifurcated lower end of the rod 36 which supports the topping device also affords bearings for a shaft 53 having eccentrics 54 which are connected by rods 55 with the plates 51 which may thus be actuated. The shaft 53 carries a bevel pinion 56 meshing with the bevel pinion 57 at the lower end of the shaft 42, which, being driven by the means previously described will serve to drive the cutting The latter, supported in the manner described, may be adjusted vertically to engage the tops at the proper height, and it may also be raised to an inoperative position when being desired.

Supported pivotally on the axle 16 are the side members of an auxiliary frame 58 which extends rearwardly between the side members of the main frame 15. The said pivoted frame is provided with bearings in which the shaft 21 is supported for rotation, said shaft carrying adjacent to the rear end thereof a hub 59 provided with a plurality of curved radiating arms 60, said hub and arms combining to constitute a beater or spreader, the use of which will be presently set forth. The main frame is provided with yokes or brackets 61, 62 on the forward one of which an internally threaded sleeve 63 is supported for rotation, said sleeve being provlded at its upper end with a bevel pinion 65. Extending through the sleeve 63 in threaded engagement therewith is a rod 67, the lower end of which is pivotally connected with some portion of the pivoted frame 58. It will be seen that said pivoted frame carrying the beater or spreader may naoeaea be moved about the axis of the axle 16 by rotating the'sleeve 63 and that without interfering with the operation of the rotary shaft 21 carrying the spreader and thus enabling vertical adjustment of said spreader to be effected at any time during the operation of the machine.

The yoke or bracket 62 which is positioned in rear of the yoke 61 supports a pair of internally threaded sleeves 64 each carry ing at its upper end a bevel pinion 66. Guided through each sleeve 64 in threaded engagement therewith is a rod 68 which is extended downwardly to form a standard on which a digger blade 69 is supported. The digger blades, two in number, of any desired shape or configuration, according to the nature of the work to be performed and the crop to be gathered, the purpose of said blades being to dig into the soil and to excavate or lift the beets, potatoes or other roots, which, passing between and rearwardly over the digger blades, will be dropped in the path of the revolving beater or spreader by the action of which they will be thrown to one side of the path of the diggers, being thus separated from the adhering clods of soil and left exposed on the adjacent surface. of the ground where they may be conveniently gathered.

The shaft 47 is surrounded by concentric tubular shafts 70, 71 carrying at their rear ends hand wheels72, 73, whereby they may be independently rotated. The shaft carries at its front end a bevel gear 74 meshing with the pinion 65 of the sleeve 63 which may thus be rotated to effect adjustment of the rod 67 and the pivoted frame 58. The shaft 71 carries a bevel gear 75 meshing with bevel pinions 76 on the inner ends of transversely disposed shafts 77 carrying at their outer ends bevel gears 78 that mesh with the pinions 66 of the sleeves 64, thereby providing for the vertical adjustment of the rods 68 constituting the standards that carry the digger blades. The latter may thus be adjusted to engage the ground at the proper depth and also to support them in a non-engaging position above the ground. I c

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. It will be observed that the topping device being of inverted V-shape will accommodate itself to the ridges in yvhich root crops are usually planted, the tops being effectively severed and deposited in the interspaces between the ridges. I would, however, have it understood that with some crops, such as potatoes, the topping device may be dispensed with, and it is very evimay be naoeaaa the machine without interfering with the operation of the remaining structure. Motion is transmitted from the driven axle of the machine to the topping device and to the spreading device in any position to which said devices may be adjusted, and the operator has complete control of such adjustment as well as of that of the digger carrying standards. The machine may be drawn by a single team unless the ground is ex ceptionally hard, when three draft animals may be required. The general construction is simple and inexpensive, and the machine is thoroughly eiiicient for the purposes for which it is provided.

threaded rods guided through the sleeves,

, implements carried'by said rods and includmg moving "parts, means for transmitting motion to said moving parts from the axle of the machine, and means for rotating the sleeves and for controlling such rotation to efiect adjustment of the implements.

3. In a machine of the" class described, a main frame, a ground wheel carrying axle supporting the same, yokes rising from the frame in front of the axle, internally threaded front and rear sleeves supported ior rotation on the yokes, a rod ided through the forward sleeve in threa ed engagement therewith, said rod being bifurcated at its lower end,al topping device supported by said rod and including movably supported cutting members, a shaft having eccentrics and rods connecting the eccentrics with the cutting members, a threaded rod guided through the rearward sleeve, a shaft connected with said rod for rotation independently thereof, means for transmitting motion to said shaft from the axle of the ma chine, and means for transmitting motion from said shaft to the eccentric carrying shaft of the topping device.

4. In a machine of the class described, a main frame,'a rod vertically adjustahle with respect to the main frame, a topping device carried by said rod and including movably supported cutting members, means for cittecting vertical adjustment of the rod and for controlling such adjustment, a ground wheel carrying axle supporting the frame structure, and means for transmitting motion from said axle to the movahly supported cutting members of the topping device, said means including a rotary shaft supported for vertical sliding movement, and means for edecting adjustment of said shaft concurrently with the adjustment ot the rod carrying the topping device.

5. ln'a machine of the class described, a frame structure, a ground wheel carrying axle supporting the same, implement carrying rods supported for vertical adyustment with respect to the frame, means for efiecting adjustment of said rods and for con-' trolling such adjustment, implements carried by said rods and including movable parts, and means for transmitting motlon from the wheel carrying axle to said movable parts, saidmeans including front and rear longitudinal shafts each including a clutch member, and means for simultaneously actuating said clutch members to throw the shafts into and out of gear.

In testimony whereotl afix my s1gnature in presence of two witnesses.

. ANDREW B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

G. H. BARBER, Tnos. H. CARLSON. 

